Northern Ireland - Mycotoxins Hitting Local Milk Output

In a week that has seen silagemaking get underway in earnest across Northern Ireland, the threat posed by Mycotoxins to the local dairy industry has been highlighted in a very clear cut and meaningful way. Mycotoxins are poisons produced by moulds and fungi in silages. Recent science developments have meant that these 'metabolites', which only cause problems at extremely low contamination rates, can now be detected. The mycotoxins present in silages are a relatively newlydiscovered group of toxins and are different from those previously known to be in some grains. According to Alltech Northern Ireland's John Thornton, silages with fungal contamination or showing signs of heating are most often highly contaminated with mycotoxins. "Mycotoxins present in silage have an antibiotic effect on the animal's rumen," he said. "This results in the destruction of the beneficial bacteria in the rumen which, in turn, can lead to numerous health and productionassociated problems." Recent international research has shown that within 24 to 48 hours of ingestion, the bacterial populations in the rumen are reduced resulting in: * Reductions in feed intakes. * Significant reduction in milk production. * Higher levels of mastitis. * Increased cell counts. * Animal wasting over time regardless of diet. * Feet injuries/problems. "Mycotoxins also have an effect on the nervous system of the animal and can result in poor immunity, swollen hocks, and infertility," stressed John Thornton. "Contamination rates are between 70 per cent and 80 per cent in German silages and recent surveys in Ireland, which are yet to be published, suggest similar rates. There is no threshold level of these mycotoxins since they work in synergy." He added: "The antibiotic properties of the mycotoxins found in silages will be detectable in the milk. As a result, milk could be rejected since the test used on milk to determine whether there are any antibiotics is non specific. "The good news, however, is that Mycosorb, a totally natural product developed by Alltech, binds to mycotoxins and removes them from the animalÌs system."